Anti-splash liquid pourout fitment



June 6, 1967 H. MILLER 3,323,693

ANTI-SPLASH LIQUID POUROUT FI'IMENT Filed Oct. 23, 1965 \n lb 10 INVENTOIL IRA H, MlLLER United States Patent 3,323,693 ANTLSPLASH LIQUID POUROUT FllTMENT Ira H. Miller, Larnhertville, Mich, assignor to Owensliliinois, Inc, a corporation of Ghio Filed Get. 23, 19655, Ser. No. 503,387 7 Claims. (Cl. 222-479) This invention relates to a pourout fitment for the mouth of liquid containing bottles and is characterized by having improved anti-splash properties in relation to pourout fitments heretofore available in the art. More particularly, the invention relates to a pourout fitment of the type insertable in, and lockingly engageable with, the neck of a narrow long-necked bottle for smooth pouring of the liquid in the bottle obtained by the simultaneous ingress of air into the bottle during the pouring of liquid therefrom. The pourout fitment of the present invention differs from previously known pourout fitments in its configuration which provides a tortuous path to the flow of liquid from the bottle thereby to absorb the momentum of the pouring liquid to retard it from splashing.

For a further understanding of the present invention, attention is directed to the following portion of the specification, the drawing, and the appended claims:

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is an elevational view, partially in section, of an embodiment of a fitment in accordance with the present invention in assembled relationship with a bottle, shown fragmentarily;

FIG. 2 is a plan sectional view of the fitment only of FIG. 1 taken on line 2-2 thereof; and

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary perspective view of a bottle equipped with the fitment of FIGS. 1 and 2 in partially inverted orientation for pouring of the contents therefrom, fragmentary portions of some of the elements of the fitment being broken away for the sake of clarity.

In accordance with the present invention there is provided a normally-upright bottle-like container, generally designated by numeral 10, which may be constructed of glass, having a neck portion 11 which is shown as being long and narrow and which terminates at its upper end in an open mouth 12. The neck portion of bottle is provided with a pour-out fitment in accordance with the present invention, generally designated by numeral 20. Fitment comprises a hollow tube 21 disposed generally centrally of and coaxial with bottle neck 11 and having a first open end 21a located beyond mouth 12 and a second open end 21b located interiorly of bottle 10.

Fitment 20 further comprises a sleeve 22 surrounding a portion of tube 21, preferably a portion adjacent outward end 2111 thereof, and defining, with tube 21, a generally annular passage 23 of relatively limited radial thickness. Fitment 20 also comprises annular means extending radially outwardly from sleeve 22, shown as comprising an annular flange 24 and a skirt 25 peripherally depending therefrom and in engagement with the neck of bottle 10 by virtue of an annular protuberance 26 which is received by an annular recess 13 of bottle neck 11. Consequently, when fitment 20 is in engagement with bottle 10 in the manner described, annular flange 24 serves to confine the fiow of fluid through bottle mouth 12 to first and second flow paths through tube 21 and passage 23, respectively. Fitment 20 also comprises means for maintaining the axial and radial relationship between tube 21 and flange 24, shown as comprising a series of circumferentially spaced-apart ribs 27 extending generally radially therebetween.

From the standpoint of manufacturing convenience, a fitment 20 as thus far described may be made in a single integral piece of a molded resilient plastic material such as polyethylene or polypropylene.

Fitment 20 is further provided with an annular bafile 28 extending generally radially from tube 21 at an axial location thereof intermediate passage 23 and inward end 21b of tube 21, and preferably a distance from the annular passage 23 about equal to twice the radial thickness thereof. Baffle 28 has a radial extent at least as great as the radial extent of passage 23, and is preferably a little greater. Bafile 28 is maintained in a predetermined axial relationship with tube 21 by providing it with an internal circumferential wall 29 extending normally therefrom, which may be molded of a plastic material integral with baffle 28, and by providing tube 21 radial projections or looking rings 31 and 32 axially spaced apart a distance slightly greater than the depth of wall 29.

In operation, the liquid L contained in bottle 10 may be dispensed therefrom by inverting the bottle so that at least a portion of opening 12 is lower in elevation than the level of the liquid, as is shown in FIG. 3. Liquid will thereby pass from bottle 10 in a tortuous fluid flow path externally of tube 21, around baffle 28 and thence through annular passage to the smooth pouring surface which is provided by an outwardly flared terminal portion 22a of sleeve 22. The tortuousness of such a fiow path greatly curtails splashing of the poured liquid over that prevalent in prior art pourout fitments. Simultaneously with the pouring of the liquid from bottle 10, there will be a flow of air into bottle 10 through the flow path interiorly of tube 21 to maintain an even pressure during pouring and thereby prevent gurgling. It is to be noted at this point that the opening in interior end 2112 of tube 21 may, in accordance with known practice, be restricted to a value sub stantially less than the internal diameter of tube 21.

A bottle 10 provided with a fitment 20 may be closed when not in use by either of the closure designs disclosed in my copending application Ser. No. 503,718, filed on Oct. 23, 1965, entitled Anti-Splash Liquid Pourout Fitment and Closure Therefor, and assigned to the assignee of this application.

It is believed that the best mode known to me to carry out this invention has been described above in terms sumciently full, clear, concise and exact as to enable any person skilled in the art to make and use the same. It is to be understood, however, that it is within my contemplation that certain modifications of the above-described mode of practicing the invention can be made by a skilled artisariwithout departing from the scope of the invention and, it is, therefore, desired to limit the invention only in accordance with the appended claims.

I claim:

1. A11 anti-splash liquid pourout fitment for use in combination with a bottle, the latter having a neck portion defining a rim at the neck opening of the bottle, said neck having an annular snap-on flange outwardly on the exterior surface from said rim, the pourout fitment being constructed of a plastic material and comprising an annular skirt including a snap bead corresponding to the snap-on flange of said neck portion of the bottle for se suring the fitment on the bottle, a central panel portion in cluding an integral, axially disposed and outwardly flared pourout sleeve, the central panel having a central aperture and circumferential ribs defining radially disposed pourout slots connecting the bottle interior and said pourout sleeve, a tubular member axially mounted in the central aperture defined by said central panel of the fitment, the inner end of the tube extending internally of the bottle neck portion, a plastic annular bafile member, means attaching said baffle member on said tube interiorly of the fitment, and means for mounting said tube and bafile in the central panel of the fitment, such that the battle is spaced from the central panel of the fitment requiring a 3 tortuous path for liquid leaving the bottle through the pourout slots.

2. The fitment defined in claim 1, wherein said annular baffle member has a circular disc portion of a greater radial extent than the outer pourout sleeve.

3. The fitment defined in claim 1, wherein the tube has its restricted inner end opening of lesser area than the open outer end for flow of air into the bottle during pourout of liquid.

4. The fitment defined in claim 1, wherein the spacing of the annular baffie member from the central portion of the fitment is at least twice the radial dimension of the circumferential slots in the central portion of the fitment surrounding the tube member.

5. The fitment defined in claim 1, wherein the means for s-paceing the baffle member and slots of the central panel of the fitment comprise an integral union between the ribs of the central panel and an axial portion of said tube such that the tube and the pourout sleeve are coaxially located.

6. A- fitment in accordance with claim 5 wherein said annular bafiie comprises a circumferential hub and an integral disc like web extending normally therefrom, said hub closely surrounding a portion of said tube and means on the tube for maintaining a predetermined axial relationship between said tube and said circumferential wall.

7. A fitment in accordance with claim 6 wherein said tube is of resilient plastic construction and wherein said means comprises an axially spaced apart pair of radial projections on said tube with a radial extent slightly greater than the radial extent of the interior of said circumferential wall, said projections being axially spaced apart a distance slightly greater than the axial dimension of said circumferential wall.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 205,576 7/1878 Robbins 222-564 X 2,411,435 11/ 1946 Kirschenbaum 222421 2,829,807 4/ 1958 Kirsehenbaum 222-421 3,091,373 5/ 1963 Kirschenbaum 222-420 3,255,924 6/1966 Modderno.

FOREIGN PATENTS 1,076,530 4/1954 France.

WALTER SOBIN, Primary Examiner. 

1. AN ANTI-SPLASH LIQUID POUROUT FITMENT FOR USE IN COMBINATION WITH A BOTTLE, THE LATTER HAVING A NECK PORTION DEFINING A RIM AT THE NECK OPENING OF THE BOTTLE, SAID NECK HAVING AN ANNULAR SNAP-ON FLANGE OUTWARDLY ON THE EXTERIOR SURFACE FROM SAID RIM, THE POUROUT FITMENT BEING CONSTRUCTED OF A PLASTIC MATERIAL AND COMPRISING AN ANNULAR SKIRT INCLUDING A SNAP BEAD CORRESPONDING TO THE SNAP-ON FLANGE OF SAID NECK PORTION OF THE BOTTLE FOR SESURING THE FITMENT ON THE BOTTLE, A CENTRAL PANEL PORTION INCLUDING AN INTEGRAL, AXIALLY DISPOSED AND OUTWARDLY FLARED POUROUT SLEEVE, THE CENTRAL PANEL HAVING A CENTRAL APERTURE AND CIRCUMFERENTIAL RIBS DEFINING RADIALLY DISPOSED POUROUT SLOTS CONNECTING THE BOTTLE INTERIOR AND SAID POUROUT SLEEVE, A TUBULAR MEMBER AXIALLY MOUNTED IN THE CENTRAL APERTURE DEFINED BY SAID CENTRAL PANEL OF THE FITMENT, THE INNER END OF THE TUBE EXTENDING INTERNALLY OF THE BOTTLE NECK PORTION, A PLASTIC ANNULAR BAFFLE MEMBER, MEANS ATTACHING SAID BAFFLE MEMBER ON SAID TUBE INTERIORLY OF THE FITMENT, AND MEANS FOR MOUNTING SAID TUBE AND BAFFLE IN THE CENTRAL PANEL OF THE FITMENT, SUCH THAT THE BAFFLE IS SPACED FROM THE CENTRAL PANEL OF THE FITMENT REQUIRING A TORTUOUS PATH FOR LIQUID LEAVING THE BOTTLE THROUGH THE POUROUT SLOTS. 